Bottle-stopper.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

B. I). G.ONKLIN..

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 2, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

M .MW;

UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1' 04.

PATENT OEEIcE.

EDWARD D. OONKLIN, NEWVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITEHEAD & HOAGCOMPANY, OF NEW ARK, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

B OTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,632, dated August16, 1904.

A li ati fil d November 2,1903. Serial No. 179,562. (N0 model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD D. OoNxLIN, of Newark, in the county of Essex,in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements inBottle-Stoppers, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle-stoppers, and refersmore particularly to cork stoppers and caps or tops therefor. Thesecorks are .usually tapering and are of course susceptible to more orless compression or indentation without liability of mutilation, whilethe portions not compressed remain in their normal expanded condition.

The object is to provide the cork with a cap or top of differentmaterial which is easily and permanently secured in position and notonly serves as a convenient means for inserting and removing the corkinto and from the bottle, but also affords a means for receivingadvertising or other printed matter or orna mentation and gives a neatand characteristic appearance to the cork with but slight addition toits cost.

Other objects will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a cork provided with oneform of my improved cap or top. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of theupper end of the cork, showing the cap in section. Figs. 3 and 4 areperspective views showing, respectively, the detached cap complete andthe detached upper section or head of the cap. Figs. 5 and 6 areelevations of corks, showing modified forms of caps in section.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

The general form of the cap is that of an inverted cup having its openend reduced in diameter to less size than the diameter of the head ofthe cork, so that when the cap is placed over and upon the cork the twoparts are permanently locked together.

In the preferable form of cap (seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3) a circularband 1 of sheet metal,is

formed with a central opening 2, and its inner and outer edges are thenbent by stamping or pressing in opposite directions to form an innerdownturned flange 3, and an outer upturned flange 4, while theintervening portion 5 of the plate lies in a substantially hori-.

zontal plane. This constitutes acircular band which is placed over andupon and encircles the large end of the cork, as 6, so that the flange 3engages the periphery of the cork some distance beneath its upper endface, while the upper edge of the flange at lies substantially in thesame plane as said upper end face of the cork. The lower flange 3 is ofless diameter than the upper end of the cork, which is compressed toreceive the same, and after the cap is placed in position the loweredges of the flange 3 are still furthercompressed inwardly, and thusform an annular groove 7 in the cork, in which the flange 3 is embedded.This groove is therefore some distance beneath the upper end face of thecork, and. the upper portion of the cork is free to and does expand toits normal size and overhangs the horizontal portion 5 to preventwithdrawal of the cap. This band may be formed as described eitherbefore or after being placed upon the cork, but is brought to nearly therequired form before, and in forming the inner flange 3 its inner edgeis usually split or broken slightly in radial lines, which forms aseries of spurs, and these latter are readily embedded by compressioninto the cork to interlock the cap with the cork. It now appears thatthe upper portion of the band is of greater diameter than the lower endwhich engages the cork and is also of greater diameter than the upperend of the cork, and therefore forms an annular space 8 between theupper end of the cork and band to insure the full expansion of the upperend of the cork after it is compressed to receive the cap. This upperflange 4 flares slightly upwardly and outwardly and receives acoversection 9, which in this instance consists of a sheet-metal disk 10and a celluloid disk 11, having their marginal edges interlocked witheach other and with the flange 4. The disk 10 covers the upper end ofthe cork and its encircling band and rests upon the upper edge of theflange 4, while its edge 12 is bent or flanged downwardly and inwardlyaround the flange 1, and the edge of the disk 11 is also turned orflanged downwardly at 13 around the flange 12 and then upwardly at 1 1and is impinged between said flange 12 and the flange 1. It is thusapparent that the disks 10 and 11 are locked to the band 1 by reason ofthe fact that the upper edge of the band is of greater diameter thanthat of the inner upturned edge of the disk 11.

The cap seen in Fig. 5 is substantially the same as that seen in Figs.1, 2, and 3, except that the spurs on the inner downturned flange 3 areslightly longer and turn outwardly at the bottom.

In Fig. 6 the cap consists of an invertedcup-shape shell 15, of wood orother material, having an opening 16 of substantially the same size andshape as the head of the cork, upon which it is fitted and cemented, ifdesired. Surmounting this shell are metal plates 17, one of which isflanged downwardly at 18 over the upper edge of the shell, and portionsof the center of the other are cut to form tongues 19, which are passeddownwardly through apertures in the shell and laterally between theshell and cork, so as to lock the metal disk to the wood shell. Theupper face of this shell is covered with a celluloid or similar disk 20,having its marginal edges overturned at 21 around the flange 18 andimpinged between said flange and sides of the shell, whereby both disksare locked to the shell. This celluloid covering in each instance givesa neat and finished appearance to the cork and cap and affords asuitable surface for receiving advertising or other printed matter orornamentation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A cap for cork bottle-stoppers, said cap comprising a plate having acentral opening,

'the inner edge being turned downwardly and its outer edge turnedupwardly to form oppositely-projecting inner and outer flanges, and acovering interlocked, with the upturned flanges.

2. In combination with a cork, a band encircling the head of the corkand having portions of its sides compressed to compress and interlockwith the cork, the upper end of the band flaring outwardly and upwardly,and a disk covering the upper end of the cork and having its marginaledges turned downwardly around the flaring portion of the band.

3. In combination with a cork, a metal band having portions thereofcompressed around the cork beneath its upper end face, a disk coveringthe end of the cork and having its marginal edge interlocked with theband, and a second disk of diflerent material covering the former diskand having its edges impinged between the band and said former disk.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of October,1903.

EDWARD D. CONKLIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. CosrnLLo. J Aims C. DAY.

